Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian: I regret not developing this soft skill in my 20s—'I would have been 10 times more productive'

Alexis Ohanian built Reddit right after college and sold the company a year later for $10 million. In 2020, he launched his own start-up venture capital fund called 776. But the 41-year-old tech executive might have been even more successful had he mastered discipline in his younger years, he told the "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" podcast on Monday.

"When I had free time, when I had more youthful vigor, if I had more discipline, I would have been 10 times more productive," Ohanian said. "That's one thing I would give advice to myself at 20 about."

For example, as a student and young entrepreneur, Ohanian stayed up for hours trying to finish work that would have taken him 20 minutes the next day had he gone to bed at a reasonable time, he said. 

His drive was strongly fueled by a desire for his mom to see him become a successful CEO, as she battled with stage four terminal brain cancer. Looking back, however, Ohanian recognizes that his lifestyle was unsustainable and unhealthy, and contributed to stress and burnout.

"When I was in my 20s, I was perpetually in 'CEO Mode' and could never find a healthy work/life balance," he posted to LinkedIn last year. "Plus, I never thought about what I ate, drank, or [smoked] ... how often I exercised, etc."

Becoming a father to his now 7-year-old daughter opened his eyes.

"When we had Olympia, I knew I needed to change everything so I can be around for as long as possible for her," he wrote. "I began a discipline of daily routines to help me move towards my goals, regardless of if I'm at home or on the road: cold plunges, working out, goal-setting, etc."

Building discipline while young is crucial

Cultivating discipline by age 27 can be an essential part of being successful and leading a fulfilling life, author and psychiatrist Phil Stutz said on an episode of the "Armchair Expert" podcast last year. The habit of creating and sticking to routines, like Ohanian now does, can lead to increased productivity, more organization, and better time-management.

Figure out what kind of routine and discipline works best for you, your life and your professional goals, Ohanian says, and be intentional about sticking to those standards going forward. 

"Creating a discipline of daily routines can look different for each person across different stages of their life," Ohanian wrote. "What matters most is that you're aware of what your body needs and are taking steps to address it."

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